We need to offer ourselves the same compassion that we extend to others. Jesus gave us the new commandment to love others as we love ourselves. In a world that is continually bombarding us with the bad in mankind we need to remember that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Jesus has already won the battle and in abiding in Him we can have peace in all situations.
Isaiah 1:9-15 Unless the Lord of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: 11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. 12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? 13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. 14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.
From Adam until the flood there were few humans on earth who believed in God. There has always been and will always remain a small remnant of His covenant people who remain faithful.
Isaiah 1:16-20 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Even in abject sin God has offered repentance if we turn from evil and walk in His ways. It was always His plan that in the salvation He gifted us in Jesus Christ the worst of us could repent and be changed precept by precept into the character of His only begotten Son. God’s mercy and love never fail.
John 5:28-30 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
God’s chosen people, the Israelites, will be judged by their acceptance or rejection of Jesus, as their Redeemer King. Those of us who enter in by His gift of grace are judged only by our faith in Jesus Christ to do what man never could. Those who are destitute of faith will live eternity without Him. (John 3:18) In His dealings with His creation God, in Jesus, offered life in Him but few accept it. God remains the same (today, as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow). He does not change. Carla
God calls for inward repentance after condemning the empty efforts of outward observance in verses 11–15. Righteous leadership always involves fair treatment of the weakest members of society—orphans, widows, and immigrants. This concern is evident in the Law (Deuteronomy 24:17), the Prophets (Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 7:6; Zechariah 7:10), and Wisdom literature (Job 31:16–18). The Hebrew verb here for justice carries the sense of “to argue” or “to prove” in a legal context (Job 23:7). It does not carry the sense of rational logic implied by the English “reason.”
The colors scarlet, red, and crimson call to mind the blood of Isaiah 1:15. The contrast with the white of snow and wool (symbolizing purity) reinforces the status of the people as impure and unclean because of their sins, which included injustice, bloodshed, and improper sacrifice.
Obedience equals blessing, but disobedience equals judgment. The choice is also summarized in Deuteronomy 30:15–18. The mouth of Yahweh Indicates the end of this section of accusation, and marks a transition to a lament over Zion. The phrase is used in Isaiah 40:5 and 58:14 to link later oracles of restoration back to this choice. Faithlife Study Bible
God desired sacrifices, but not from people who disobeyed Him and mistreated others, even if the sacrifice presented was the best. “To obey is better than sacrifice,” said the early prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 15:22, 23). Later prophets agreed (Hosea 6:6; Amos 4:4; Micah 6:6–8), and so did the Lord Jesus (Matthew 23:23). God judges not only our outwardly pious acts, but more importantly the attitude of our hearts (1 Corinthians 4:5).
The invitation to repent has two parts: (1) The people must wash themselves by seeking justice, by rebuking the oppressor, and defending the fatherless (James 1:27). (2) God Himself would wash the people if they were willing and obedient to meet this condition. As the righteous Judge, God both reproves the wicked and defends the innocent (11:4).
Reason together means “to come to a legal decision.” There is no call for a compromise here; the people were to come to an agreement with God concerning the enormous gravity of their sin. God was not declaring His people innocent of wickedness, but He was prepared to pardon their sins if they would repent and turn to Him. God offers us that same forgiveness through Jesus. Says the Lord in the verb form suggests a repeated offering of grace. Scarlet recalls the picture of “hands … full of blood” (verse 15). God’s grace and power can make such bloodstains as white as snow (Romans 3:21–26).
There was another side to God’s offer. If the sinful people did not repent, instead of the promise that they shall eat the good of the land (3:10) stood the threat that they shall be devoured by the sword. The promise and threat were certain because the Lord had spoken them. Here the verb has spoken indicates finality. While God had graciously extended His offer of mercy over a significant period of time, this was the only offer God made. They could not “cut another deal” with Him (40:5; 55:11). The NKJV Study Bible
Isaiah 58:14
Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Isaiah 40:5
The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isaiah 43:25–26
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.
Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted.
Micah 4:4
But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken
“When we give ourselves compassion, we are opening our hearts in a way that can transform our lives.” Kristin Neff
…they didn't want to acknowledge that no nation or building can contain the God of the universe. He is always everywhere. And the wonderful news of the gospel is that Jesus, the Son, came from the Father to fill us with the Holy Spirit, so now we can have God with us personally in every situation.
Sometimes I fall into the trap of putting God into a box. I limit my understanding of His power by thinking He only works in certain ways. I limit my awareness of His presence by thinking He only meets me in certain spaces. But Jesus' life, death and resurrection tore down walls and broke through boxes (Ephesians 2:14). Wherever Holy Spirit is, there is God. And when we trust in Jesus, Holy Spirit lives within us! Whatever we face, God is always present with us in His unlimited power … in every moment, every day, forever. First5
I was buoyed, reading this; “Yesterday I had a good morning. Once again when I recollect myself, I again find the same simple demands of God: gentleness, humility, charity, interior simplicity; nothing else is asked of me. And suddenly I saw clearly why these virtues are demanded, because through them the soul becomes inhabitable for God and for one's neighbor in an intimate and permanent way. Hardness and pride repel, complexity disquiets. But humility and gentleness welcome, and simplicity reassures.” (Raissa Maritain’s journal entry from the early 1900s)
A necessary reminder this week as we are talking about our wholeness, which is, in fact, a hidden wholeness, and it comes only as we embrace our brokenness. Our messiness. Our uncertainty. Because our identity, our value, our worth, is not predicated on answers or resolutions or tidiness. Our identity, our value, our worth, comes from—and is grounded in—Grace.
Tell me, where are the sanctuary places for you?
So. Let’s begin with Clarissa Pinkola Estes' reminder; "Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely."
We offer coffee... we make space...
We make space to see.
We make space to be seen.
We make space to give wholeheartedly.
We make space to welcome.
We make space to offer comfort or reprieve or hope.
We make space to be Sabbath (sanctuary—self-care and self-love), in a world of disquiet, disruption and misgiving.
That certainly doesn't mean that we sugarcoat the world. Lord have mercy, there's enough pain and injury to go around. And I can tell you that I am not a fan of people who—in the name of upbeat coaching—dismiss life's complications, irritations, tensions and potential pain.
But here's the deal: When we make space, we are able to bring who we are, wholeheartedly—whether that be grief or sadness, or bewilderment, or gladness or joy. And in that space, there is hope. And there is mercy.
Let’s call this space, the Gift of Enough. Sabbath Moments
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